wfn.org | NCC Urges Interfaith Open Houses to Mark Sept. 11, 2002

["Nat'l Council of Churches" <nccc_usa@ncccusa.org>]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
NCC5/20/02

NCC URGES CHURCHES TO MARK SEPT. 11, 2002, BY HOLDING INTERFAITH OPEN
HOUSES, EXTENDING HOSPITALITY TO MUSLIM NEIGHBORS

See NCC Web Site: www.ncccusa.org/interfaith/openhouse-intro.html
<http://www.ncccusa.org/interfaith/openhouse-intro.html>

May 20, 2002, NEW YORK CITY -- After the Sept. 11 attacks, hundreds of
Islamic centers and mosques across the United States held open houses,
inviting their neighbors of other faiths in to grieve together and build
bridges of understanding.

For many Christians, it was their first occasion to enter a mosque and talk
with a Muslim, commented the Rev. Dr. Jay Rock, Interfaith Relations
director for the National Council of Churches.  Muslims for their part
wanted their neighbors of other faiths to understand who they really were -
not terrorists, but peace-loving, PTA-going, regular Americans who came here
from all parts of the world.

Now the National Council of Churches is urging Christian congregations to
hold interfaith open houses on or around Sept. 11, 2002, thus commemorating
the first anniversary of the attacks by extending hospitality to their
Muslim neighbors.

The Open Doors: Interfaith Hospitality Project received unanimous approval
by the NCCs Executive Board, meeting May 14-15 in Harrisburg.  Resources
are available on the NCCs Web site at
www.ncccusa.org/interfaith/openhouse-intro.html
<http://www.ncccusa.org/interfaith/openhouse-intro.html> and include Steps
in Planning and Holding an Open House, Help to Find Muslims Living Near
You, The Experience of One Congregation in Christian-Muslim Dialogue,
After the Open House - Going Forward Together, Basic Facts About Islam,
and Resources and Hospitality.

As we approach Sept. 11, 2002, people already are talking about
commemorative books and programs to look at what last years attacks have
meant for our common life, said Dr. Barbara Brown Zikmund of Rockville,
Md., co-chair of the NCCs Interfaith Relations Commission.

The commission designed the Open Doors project as a very simple and
grassroots way for churches to continue to build good communication between
Christians and Muslims in local communities, she said.

After the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, churches across the nation
spontaneously opened their doors for people to come in to pray, Dr. Rock
said.  There was an upsurge of people seeking out religious institutions as
a place to reorient themselves.  Also during those days, responsible leaders
reminded us that it was a group of Islamist terrorists, and not Islam nor
ordinary American Muslims, that had attacked the World Trade Center and the
Pentagon.

As we looked ahead to the first anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, we
thought, wouldnt it be great to have our congregations open their doors
once again, this time specifically to their Muslim neighbors?, he said.
In some cases theyll be reciprocating for open houses already held, in
others it will be a new overture.

The Open Doors project was developed in consultation with major U.S.
Muslim organizations and is being promoted through the NCCs 36 Protestant,
Orthodox and Anglican member communions.  The idea and materials will also
be made available through state, regional and local ecumenical and
interfaith councils, Dr. Rock said, which can help local congregations
coordinate their open houses as community-wide events.

Congregations also may be in direct contact with either Jay Rock:
jrock@ncccusa.org <mailto:jrock@ncccusa.org> or Jane Smith at Hartford
Seminarys Macdonald Center for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim
Relations: jismith@hartsem.edu <mailto:jismith@hartsem.edu>.

-end-

Contact: NCC News, 212-870-2252/2227
news@ncccusa.org; www.ncccusa.org